Bye
by leedakay
Summary: They were both a part of each other, an essential element in each other's lives. Having to go separate ways was almost like having to lose a crucial part of yourself... like your heart. Ch. 423 spoiler.


**Everyone has been doing this. Everyone. And I can safely say I've read all of them. All summaries containing the letters 'S P O I L E R F O R C H. 423". heh, because i'm a sucker that way.**

**This little thing was rushed so expect flaws. But it was partly because of the fact that I was bawling when I wrote it.

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"Bye, Rukia."

He had said that. Or was it "See you, Rukia."? He couldn't remember. All he remembered was looking at the clear blue sky on the first day he had woken up from a month-long sleep.

He couldn't find it in him to watch her disappear. After all, to see something so precious to you vanish before your very eyes was painful. Painful enough to rip your heart out. He supposed he could be a little bit more optimistic about this but he couldn't. He just couldn't.

Lifting his head up to the sky, he blinked back the stupid tears threatening to form around his eyes. Well, maybe he had cried... he honestly couldn't remember. He remembered that he had forced the lump in his throat down though, so he could properly say goodbye to her without sounding like such a total wuss. He knew better than to cry in front of her. He would probably get a bruise on his ass the next day without realising it.

Because Rukia was like that. She wouldn't take any bullshit from him; not once not ever. Even though he couldn't see her, she could see him, couldn't she? And despite what he had said – in order to protect his manly pride – he couldn't help feeling a bit light-hearted at the thought. That very fact had lifted his oncoming depression slightly.

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Till this day, he still remembered that feeling of loss even though he couldn't exactly remember the details of it. Ichigo set his shoes down the floor of his house and called out "I'm home."

As usual, he would head upstairs to do his routines of bathing, lunch, homework, naps and sports later. Or maybe he would go out and spend time with his friends. Either way, he hadn't forgotten how to live. But there was no denying the sense of something missing greatly from his life. The first few weeks were the hardest for him, he had to admit.

There were times, he found himself almost reaching out to the closet door to ask Rukia whether she wanted to tag along for an outing with the others but then he stopped his arm in mid-air and seconds later dropped it limply by his side, his head bowed and his heart saying 'oh, right'.

There were times when he would pass Rukia's favourite ice cream shop and would stare at her favourite flavour.

There were times when he passed the local bookstore and he would see a new edition of her favourite manga out fresh in the stands.

There were times when walking to the city and shops where he knew he had been with Rukia to hurt him a lot.

All in all, it just hurt.

But as time passes, he found himself getting a little bit better. A part of him was telling him to move on and live while another was constantly reminding him of the fact that she was still here; watching him.

To prove it, he had bought one of her favourite magazines and stuck it between his window and the ledge.

It was a while after that he found it gone. A note, in return, was replaced; placed the same way.

_Thank you, tawake-domo._

Ichigo smiled inwardly at the note and the little rabbit hugging a heart, ignoring the aching feeling in his heart and her lack of improvement in the drawing department.

It went on for a while. Both exchanging simple notes; not even once conveying what they truly felt.

But then, he supposed it was _supposed_ to be this way. It was meant to go like this and no other way.

Because every simple gesture carried much deeper meaning to the both of them without having to be deciphered.

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**Was it a little too random? It doesn't matter. **

**Reviews are appreciated but for this... it doesn't matter since I know it was choppy and not exactly meeting the whole point of the separation but I needed to get it out of my bloody system! GEEZ! ;_; **

**I HEART YOU ICHIRUKI! 3**


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